School pupils impress Dewsbury MP and receive invitation to visit Parliament

The town’s MP, Mark Eastwood, extended the invitation to children at Pentland Infant and Nursery School in Savile Town after receiving letters from pupils expressing concerns about road safety in their area.

The letters followed on from a summertime competition to design a road safety poster as a homework task.

The standard – and number – of entries was so high that an out-of-school judge was invited in the form of local Labour councillor Masood Ahmed.

He selected four designs, which were turned into signs and set up on the gates of the school on Pentland Road.

It was Coun Ahmed who suggested Year two pupils write to senior figures outlining their concerns and calling for safety measures and a one-way system to be installed.

Consequently letters were sent to Mr Eastwood, the Leader of Kirklees Council, Coun Shabir Pandor, highways officers and Coun Ahmed himself.

Mr Eastwood was so impressed by the persuasive nature of the letters – and the beautiful handwriting – that he asked to visit the school to meet youngsters towards the end of the summer term.

He spoke to Year two children about their concerns and reassured them that he would take their ideas and suggestions and talk to the council about what could be put in place to make local roads safer.

School deputy head Pat Barker said: “The children had lots of questions to ask about his job and were overjoyed when Mark made the offer for a group of children to visit the Houses of Parliament to see first-hand where all the important discussions and rule-making take place.”

A date is being set for the autumn term.